TDN Weekend December 2016 Issue 9
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1099087
S ingapore, officially known as the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located one-and-a-half degrees north of the equator in Southeast Asia. Its size is ap- proximately 721 square kilometres and is comprised of one main island along with 62 islets, making it two-thirds the size of Hong Kong or just under the size of New York City. How- ever tiny it is, do not underestimate its strength. Singapore was originally known as Temasek, meaning "Sea Town," when the first settlements were established. Modern Singapore was founded in the 19th century by an Englishman known as Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. The British Empire was eyeing a port of call in this region to base its fleet and Raffles negotiated a treaty with the local rulers and established Singa- pore as a trading station, attracting immigrants from China, In- dia, and the Malay Archipelago. Singapore become an indepen- dent and sovereign democratic nation in 1965. Although with a short history, Singapore's highly developed free market econo- my makes it a leading international financial centre today. Once you fly into Singapore and get out of Changi Airport, you can hop into a taxi easily to take you to your next destination. Taxis in Singapore are affordable and convenient, US$20-35 would take you from the airport to the city centre.